I did my best to make the title as nonsensical as possible, and I believe I pretty well succeeded. Back in the days of my youth, I spent a summer pruning tomato plants every other day. On that day, we could look forward to scaly green hands that resembled something out of The Mummy's Curse or maybe Swamp Thing. There was nothing pretty or beautiful about our greeny grubs after a couple hours of pruning the little suckers off the main branches. Pruning, however, was necessary for the health and production of the plants. Jesus used this same process by reminding the disciples of what the farmers did to their grape vines in His day.
Plants, it seems, grow all willy-nilly and not in the best most productive way possible. Adam tended the Garden of Eden so perhaps this method is something handed down to us from the very beginning. Other than the monster fingers, pruning tomato plants is a rewarding sort of occupation producing more and better fruit, a cleaner plant, and the good work of tending a garden that seems to fit us so well. So it is with little wonder that after a good sermon on pruning and garden tending that we turn right easily to pruning our brothers and sisters in Christ. Ah, ah! Try to tell us you haven't done so and we'll make a pruning suggestion for you too! :-)
Jesus told us in John 15:1-2 that God is the vine dresser who does the pruning. There doesn't seem to be a mention of volunteers for the job of pruning on each other. The beam in our eyes may prevent us from seeing where the pruning needs to be done on our own branch. But, fortunately God knows right where to apply the pruning shears for our best growth and fruit production.
Love, joy, and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
Bucky
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